Direct-acting engine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

O. C. WORTHINGTON.

DIRECT ACTING ENGINE. No. 309,676. Patented Dec. 23 1884.

rarest CHARLES C. WVORTHINGTON, OF IRVINGTON, NEYV YORK.

lRECT ACTlNG ENGINE.

5PECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 309,676, dated December 23 1884.

Application filed June 20, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES C. WoRTH-.

INGTON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Irvington, county of WVestehester, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Direct-Acting Engines, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying clrawings,for1ning a part of the same.

The present invention relates to that general class of engines which are known as direct acting, and particularly to those engines of this class which are provided with one or more compensating or auxiliary cylinders and pistons,which are supplied with a suitable motor-fluid, and are arranged to act in opposition to the main piston or pistons during the first part of the stroke of the latter, and in conjunction therewith during the latter part of the stroke, one form of such an engine being shown in United States Letters Patent No. 292,525, heretofore granted to me.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide this class of engines with an air-compressing apparatus which will operate to maintain a quantity of air under sufficient pressure to properly supply the said compensating cylinder or cylinders.

It is also the object of the invention to provide an air-compressing apparatus which will be especially suited for use in connection with direct-acting engines for this and other analogous purposes.

To these ends the invention consists, broadly, of the combinatiomwith the main and compensating cylinders and pistons, of a tank for containing a quantity of air to supply said compensating cylinder or cylinders, and an air-compressing apparatus operated by the engine to maintain the proper pressure in said tank.

The invention also embraces the combination,with a direct-acting engine of this class, of an itllflOlllplGSSlDg apparatus driven by the engine, and arranged to make two strokes to one of the engine, and also various other combinations, all of which will be hereinafter fully explained, and particularly pointed out in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a direct-acting duplex pumpingengine of the character shown in my said former Letters Patent, pro vided with an air-compressing apparatus embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation, partly in section, of the same looking from the right of Figs. 1 and 2, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken upon the line a" a: of Fig. 8.

Referring to said drawings,it is to be understood that the engine therein shown, which, as just stated, is of the same general construction as that shown in my former Letters Patent, consists oftwo steam-cylinders, 10 11,provided with the usual steam-chests, and two water-cylinders,12 13,provided with the usual suction and force chambers, the pistons of the former cylinders being connected directly to the pistons or plungers of the latter, and provided with the usual connections, 20 21 22 23 and 24 25 26 27, by which the induction and exhaust valve of each side of the engine is operated by the other, all .in the same manner as in the well -known NVorthington duplex pumping-engine. Each of the cylinders 10 11 is alsoprovided with suitable cut-off valves .and connections,28 29, for operating the same,

all as fully explained in my said former Letters Patent. 1

As herein shown,the cylinders 10 11 are arranged to' operate in connection with a tank in substantially the manner described in United States Letters Patent No. 116,131, the steam being received from the generator through the pipe 1 1-, and after acting in the cylinder 10, passing out through the pipe 15 to the tank (not shown) from which it passes through the pipe 16 to the cylinder 11,where it acts at a reduced pressure, after which it is exhausted through the pipe 17 into a condenser (not shown) or into the open air. Each of the cylinders 10 11 may, however, receive steam direct from the boiler and exhaust it directly into the condenser or into the open air, said cylinders in such case being of substantially the same size.

The piston-rods l8 19, instead of terminating inside the water-cylinders, are extended and pass through stuffing-boxes in the opposite ends of said cylinders, where each of said 'hot surfaces, so that as large a quantity is not be provided with a suitable relief -valve to prevent the pressure therein from rising above the proper point.

It will readily be understood that in being compressed, as just described, the air will, owing to the decrease of its volume, become very much heated, and thus heat the compressing-pump. From this it results that the air as it enters the pump becomes heated, and consequently expanded, by contact with its drawn into the pump as would be the case if the air were cool. It is therefore desirable, in order to preserve the efficiency of the pump, to provide means by which it is prevented from becoming thus heated To eiiect this, the cylinder of the pump is provided with an annular space, 5, (see Fig. 4,) which is con nected with the water end of the engine, or with some other suitable source of supply, in such manner that a current of cool water is caused to constantly circulate through said space, and thus cool the surfaces of the pump and the air as they become heated by the compression.

Although the air-compressing apparatus is herein shown as applied to a duplex pumping-engine, it will of course be understood that it is equally applicable to engines which are used for other purposes than pumping, and also that it is equally applicable to single engines which are provided with one or more of the compensatingcylinders.

In conclusion, it is to be remarked that the connections for operating the compressingpump may be greatly varied from those shown without departing from or losing the advantages ofthe invention. In fact, the pump may be operated from any moving part of the engine and by any suitable form ot' connections which may be found desirable.

The device shown for varying the length of stroke of the compressing-pump illustrates the operation; but the same result can be ac complished by having the point of connection of the pitman a0 and the lever it move in a slide controlled by a suitable screw, or in various ways, without departing from the principle of the invention.

It is also to be remarked that the size of the compressing-pitmp as shown in the drawings is greatly exaggerated, it being so shown for the purpose of more clearly illustrating its various parts.

hat I claim is-- 1. The combination, with a main cylinder and piston, of one or more compensating cylinders and pistons which are arranged to act in opposition to said main piston during the first part of its stroke and in conjunction therewith during the last part of its stroke, a tank communicating with said compensating cylinder or cylinders, and an aircmnpressing pump which is operated by the engine and l 1 l l l l l l communicates with said tank, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a main cylinder and piston, of one or more compensating cylinders and pistons which are arranged to act in opposition to said main piston during the first part of its stroke and in conjunction therewith during the last part of its stroke, a tank communicating with said compensating cylinder or cylinders, and an air-compress ing pump which communicates with said tank, and is operated from the engine so as to make two strokes to each stroke of the engine, sub stantially as described.

3. The combination, with the main cy1inders and pistons forming the two sides of a duplex engine, and provided with means by 'which each side actuates the valves of the other, of one or more compensating cylinders and pistons arranged to operate in connection with each side of said engine, and acting in opposition to said main pistons during the first part of the stroke and in conjunction therewith during the last part of the stroke, a tank communicating with said compensatingcylinders, and an air-com pressing pump which is operated by the engine and communicates with said tank, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the main cylinders and pistons forming the two sides of a duplex engine, and provided with means by which each side actuates the valves of the other, of one or more compensating cylinders and pistons arranged to operate in connection with each side of said engine, and acting in oppos ition to said main pistons during the first part of the stroke and in conjunction therewith during the last part of the stroke, a tank com municating with said compensating-cylinders,and an t1lF-CO11l1'HQSSll] g pump which con1- municatcs with said tank and is operated from the engine, so as to make two strokes to each stroke of the engine operating it, substantially as described.

l3. The combination, with a main cylinder and piston and one or more compensating cylinders and pistons arranged to operate in connection therewith, of a tank communicating with said compensating cylinder or cylinders, an air-compressing pump which is operated by the engine and communicates with said tank, and means by which the position of the piston or plunger of said pump can be varied, so as to regulate the amount of air forced into the tank at each stroke, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing wit nesses.

IIO

(No Model.)

0. 0. YALE.

LAST.

' No. 309,677. Patented Dec. 23, 1884.

Attest- Inventor M w a.

mlihu 1 lur Wlslm mu D C 

